(while entry level will start from $40) … with that there would be tremendous pressure on low-volume tablet supliers (branded or white-box alike), as well as Samsung and Apple. Meanwhile China strengthens its position as the world leading PC Market.
Rumor: New Nexus 7 specs, features and launch details mentioned in chat with Asus rep [Android Authority, June 30, 2013]
AE: The Tablet should be released before the ending of Q2
C: when exactly is before Q2?
AE: That will be before the ending of July
…
AE: There has not been confirmed specification as yet, but here is some basics specification , that you can look at:
7 inch LED with 1980*1200 resolution
Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 Quad Core CPU / Snapdragon APQ8064 CPU
2GB of RAM
32GB internal storage
5Mpx rear camera and 1.2Mpx front camera
Android 4.3
4000mAh battery
Wifi a/b/g/n,Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC enabled
LTE / WCDMA / GSM support
This is not confirmed specifications but you can review it
vs. the first one: Nexus 7: Google wanted it in 4 months for $199/$245, ASUS delivered + Nexus Q (of Google’s own design and manufacturing) added for social streaming from Google Play to speakers and screen in home under Android device control [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, June 28, 2012] which already has an ASUS only “reincarnation:
Experience MeMO Pad HD 7 [asus YouTube channel, June 16, 2013]
The MeMO Pad HD 7 is a stylish and portable 7-inch value tablet with a [1.2GHz] quad-core [MediaTek MT8125] processor, stunning HD IPS panel. It has dual cameras and stereo speakers.
Some specs:
7-inch HD [1280 x 800] tablet with a wide-view angle IPS display for stunning visuals
Rear 5MP and front 1.2MP dual cameras to capture the moments
Dual stereo speakers with Sonicmaster Technology for incredible sound effect.
Ultra light, weighs only 302g
Up to 10 hrs battery life to make it through your day
ASUS Announces MeMO Pad HD 7 and MeMO Pad FHD 10 Tablets [press release, June 3, 2013]
ASUS MeMO Pad™ HD 7 — the value tablet for mobile entertainment
ASUS MeMO Pad™ HD 7 has a quad-core processor and 1GB RAM for smooth and responsive performance with apps of all kinds. The 7-inch display has a 1280 x 800 native resolution for crisp text and images, and IPS technology for accurate, vibrant colors with 170-degree wide viewing angles. MeMO Pad™ HD 7 also features high-quality stereo speakers with enhanced sound, courtesy of ASUS SonicMaster audio technology.MeMO Pad™ HD 7 has a 1.2-megapixel front-facing HD camera that can capture 720p HD videos and models are also available with a rear 5-megapixel camera. Just 10.8mm thick and 302g, the feature-packed MeMO Pad™ HD 7 has a lithium polymer battery that lasts for up to 10 hours with 720p video playback. Models are available in four colors — black, white, pink and green.
MeMO Pad™ HD 7 has 16GB of storage and a MicroSD card slot, plus 16GB ASUS WebStorage free for one year. Together with the ASUS WebStorage Office, users can view, create, edit and share Microsoft Office documents online.
AVAILABILITY & PRICING
ASUS MeMO Pad™ HD 7 has an MSRP of US$129 for 8GB capacity and US$149 for 16GB [a “follow up” to the $199 Nexus 7 tablet developed jointly by Google and ASUS and announced a year ago], and will be available starting in July 2013.
Asustek and HP enter China tablet market with entry-level models [DIGITIMES, July 1, 2013]
Asustek Computer and Hewlett-Packard (HP) are both set to enter the China tablet market with new cheap tablet models: the Asustek 7-inch 8GB MeMO Pad HD 7, priced below CNY999 (US$163) and HP Slate 7, priced at CNY999 [$163], according to sources from channel retailers.
Asustek’s 8GB MeMO Pad HD 7 will be supplied to the China market exclusively and is expected to appear later in July.
Prior to Asustek and HP, Acer already offered its 7-inch Iconia B1-A71 tablet [1.2GHz dual-core MT8317T based] at CNY699 [$114], while Lenovo is pushing its A1000 for a price of CNY999 [$163].
Compared to first-tier vendors, most China-based white-box tablet players are offering their products at prices between CNY299-500[$49-81.5], giving them advantages in pricing, but first-tier vendors still outmatch white-box players in product quality, specifications and after-sales service, the sources said.
Currently this is the best 7” quad-core offering from purely mainland China technology:
7” quad-core Allwinner A31s based Onda tablets for $65 (v701s) and $81 with IPS (v711s) in China, while for $89 and $99 outside [‘USD 99 Allwinner’, June 22, 2013] for which here is the Onda V711s Quad Core A31s 7″ IPS Tablet PC In-depth Review [dealsprime YouTube channel, June 24, 2013]
Onda V711s 7-inch IPS screen Android 4.2.2 Tablet PC with quad core Allwinner A31 CPU review. We check out the pre-installed apps and do some web browsing. Check out full specs and where to buy here: http://dealsprime.com/onda-v711s-quad-core-android-4-1-1-tablet-pc-7-ips-1024-600-a31s-1-5ghz-8gb.html
With and 1280×800 resolution Onda V712 quad-core version is available from April 8, 2013. The current price for Onda V712 Quad Core RAM 2GB 7 Inch IPS Screen Android Tablet 16GB outside China is $139 (699 yuan, $114 inside). It has 0.3MP front and 2MP back camera (vs. 1.2MP front and 5MP rear on ASUS MeMO Pad HD 7), but its video capability is 4K.
Meanwhile the cheapest dual-core mid-range tablet from white-box vendors is the new ICOO D70PR03 for 399 yuan i.e $65. This is with 1.2GHz Allwinner A20 SoC and 1024×600 IPS screen.
China white-box tablet players seeing success in landing government procurement orders [DIGITIMES, July 1, 2013]
China-based white-box players are gaining the upper hand in the competition with first-tier brand vendors for tablet procurement orders from Asia Pacific governments due to their advantages in pricing, while improved product quality and stability also helped the white-box players to narrow their gap with first-tier players, according to sources from tablet players.
The government in Thailand recently released procurement orders for 1.6 million education-purpose tablets which were mostly taken by a China-based white-box player, and first-tier vendors are having trouble competing due to considerations about profitability, the sources noted.
The sources pointed out that the white-box maker landed orders for a total of 800,000 tablets from the Thailand government worth NT$1.57 billion (US$52.35 million), equivalent to a price of NT$1,900-2,000 [US$63-67] for each device.
However, even with such a low price, the sources believe the white-box maker is still profiting from the orders.
Currently, an entry-level 7-inch tablet from a China white-box player is priced at about US$50 and can go up to US$70-90 in the retail channel, giving them strong advantages in price competition.
Although first-tier brand vendors are also aggressively trying to enter the entry-level tablet market, white-box players are still expected to achieve shipments of 120 and 170 million units in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
Thailand school kids get tablet computers [Aljazeera via AussieNews1 YouTube channel, Aug 23, 2012]
It is only a matter of time before tablet computers replace text books in school classrooms.
Surprise auction winners [Bangkok Post, June 29, 2013]
Dark horses Shenzhen Yitoa Intelligent Control Co of China and Supreme Distribution (Thailand) won yesterday’s bidding for the second phase of the One Tablet per Child scheme to supply 1.22 million tablets, beating out Shenzhen Scope Scientific Development.
The Chinese firm clinched the bid for the first and second zones, while the Thai company won the contract for the third zone.
The Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) held an e-auction for the tablets yesterday seeking bidding winners to supply 1.63 million tablets.
Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanchana said Shenzhen Yitoa won a bid to supply 431,105 tablets for Prathom 1 students worth 842 million baht for the first zone in central and southern provinces.
The company offered a price of 1,953.12 baht [$63] per tablet, 28.2% lower than the median price set at 2,720 baht each.
According to earlier information: “The tablet will have government specifications of a seven-inch display with a camera resolution of 1024×600 pixels, a minimum 1.5-gigahertz dual-core processor unit, one gigabyte of RAM, eight gigabytes of storage memory, 3,600 milliampere hours of lithium polymer battery life, and continuous Wi-Fi internet access for at least three hours.”
The Chinese firm also won the bid to supply 373,637 tablets for Prathom 1 students worth 786 million baht for the second zone in the northern and northeastern provinces.
The company offered 2,103.64 baht [$67.5] per unit, 22.7% below the median price.
Supreme Distribution, meanwhile, proposed the lowest price for tablets in the third zone, covering Mathayom 1 students in the central and southern provinces, at 2,908.24 baht [$93], down slightly from the median price of 2,920 baht.
The Thai computer assembly firm will supply 426,683 tablets worth 1.24 billion baht.
Obec postponed the bid for the fourth zone – covering some northern and northeastern provinces – to July, as Shenzhen Yitoa was the only bidder in the auction. The conditions require at least two bidders in competition.
Mr Phongthep said purchasing contracts are expected to be sealed in the week ahead. All winners are obliged to deliver their tablets within 90 days of signing contracts.
Panuwat Khantamoleekul, the managing director of Supreme Distribution, said the company could not offer a sharp rate cut since Mathayom 1 specifications are higher than those for Prathom 1.
He said his company will build its own factory in Thailand to assemble materials sourced from China.
It set up a local office here two decades ago and also won an earlier bid to supply tablets in Russia.
Shenzhen Yitoa Digital Appliance Co. Ltd [Global Sources, April 14, 2013]
Offering a Wide Range of Electronic Products
Shenzhen Yitoa Digital Appliance was founded in 2007, which is affiliated to Shenzhen Yitoa Intelligent Control Co., Ltd. We are a nationally known enterprise designing, developing, manufacturing and selling intelligent controllers of digital equipment. Our main products include e-book readers, MIDs, tablet PCs and other devices.
Releasing Three New Products Monthly
Every year, we invest $800,000 in our R&D department to innovate and renew users’ digital life. This gives our 100 experienced engineers the resources they need to add up to three new products a month. Simply send us your OEM/ODM requirements, and we’ll complete a sample for you in as fast as one week. Now our company cooperates with Aigo, Newsman, Skyworth and other national famous companies.
Recipient of International Certifications and Recognitions
With a 16,000-square-meter factory, 100 engineers, 1,600 workers and 25 assembly lines, our monthly capacity is over 1 million pieces. For your assurance, all of our products carry CE, CQC, CCC, UL and VED approvals, and are manufactured under ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004 guidelines. Moreover, we have been recognized as a hi-tech enterprise in 2004, one of the top 100 Shenzhen Software Enterprises in 2005, and one of the top 20 Shenzhen Software Export Enterprises in 2006.
Leading Tablet PC Brands Reduce 2013 Targets [DisplaySearch blog, June 27, 2013]
We recently pointed out [Smaller Tablets to Get Even More Popular in the Second Half of 2013 [DisplaySearch blog, June 18, 2013]] that 2013 would be the year in which smaller tablet PC shipments (especially 7” and 8”) would surpass larger tablet PC shipments (such as 9.7” and 10.1”). Tablet PCs are starting to overlap with larger smart phones, as well as with ultra-slim notebook PCs.
Our latest forecast for the tablet PC market in the Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report is for 67% Y/Y growth – from 153.6M in 2012 to 256.5M in 2013. Within this growing market, the share held by the top 12 brands, including Apple, HP, Acer, Dell, Lenovo, ASUS, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, is falling because the whitebox market [iPad-sized Tablets No Longer Driving Panel Growth Momentum [DisplaySearch blog, June 27, 2013]], especially in China, is growing faster. We estimate that the top brands, which shipped a combined 104.2M units in 2012, have reduced their 2013 shipment plans from 172M forecast in April to 167M forecast in June.
Apple’s iPad series accounted for 67M units in 2012 and remains the market leader, but is also the leading example of this trend. We estimate that Apple originally planned to ship 88M iPads in 2013, has reduced its target to 74M, including 31M iPads and 43M iPad minis.
We estimate that Samsung’s total tablet PC and phablet business plan is nearly 50M units in 2013, a big jump from 15.6M in 2012. Samsung plans include 39.5M tablet PCs, and 10M Galaxy Mega series (5.8” and 6.3”; while Samsung defines these as phablets, we classify them as smart phones).
Other tablet PC brands expect to grow their business in 2013. Among them, Lenovo, Microsoft, HP, and Acer are the most aggressive. Lenovo has two product lines for its tablet PC – X86 and ARM series. In 2013, Lenovo is planning for 3M X86 and 8M ARM.
Tablet PCs and Touch Adoption Expected to Drive Mobile PC Shipments Through 2017, According to NPD DisplaySearch [press release, May 6, 2013]
SANTA CLARA, CALIF., May 6, 2013—The mobile PC market is expected to increase from 367.6 million units shipped in 2012 to 762.7 million globally by 2017, driven by touch-enabled form factors, according to the NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report. The majority of this shift will come as tablet PCs begin to replace notebook PCs this year as the dominant mobile PC form factor, and touch becomes a key feature in mobile PC adoption.
“The mobile PC industry is undergoing significant change this year,” said Richard Shim, senior analyst with NPD DisplaySearch. “The rapid rise and establishment of white box tablet PCs (tablets made by small local brands, mainly in China) is putting pressure on traditional notebook PCs. These low-cost tablets are reaching further into emerging regions where notebook PC penetration rates have remained low, resulting in cannibalization by tablet PCs.”
Tablet PC shipments are forecast to increase 67% Y/Y to 256.5 million in 2013, and reach 579.4 million by 2017. White box tablet PCs accounted for one-third of tablet PC shipments in 2012 and will maintain at that level for the next several years.
Notebook PC shipments are expected to decline 10% over the next four years, from 203.3 million in 2013 to 183.3 million in 2017, but there will be pockets of growth. Shipments of notebooks with touch capabilities are expected to grow 48% Y/Y in 2014. In the notebook category, touch will be used mainly in ultra-slim PCs, which includes Intel-specified Ultrabooks, the MacBook Air, and other slim form factor notebooks. Ultra-slims, which are at the premium end of the notebook market, are forecast to account for two-thirds of touch-enabled notebooks in 2013. By 2017, they will be 80%. Intel’s recent mandate that third-generation Ultrabooks (using the company’s next generation Haswell processors) must include touch will also help adoption.
Figure 1: Global Mobile PC Shipments, 2012-2017
Source: NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report
New operating systems such as Windows 8 are unlikely to be a major driver of touch adoption. Rather, penetration of touch in notebook PCs will be driven by a reduction in cost and new form factors, such as hybrids, sliders, and convertibles.
“Thus far, Windows 8 has had a limited impact on driving touch adoption in notebook PCs, due to a lack of applications needing touch and the high cost of touch on notebook PCs,” added Shim. “Form factors aimed at differentiation from standard clamshell notebooks will help to drive consumer adoption of touch-enabled notebook PCs, starting in the second half of 2013.”
The NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report covers the entire range of mobile PC products shipped worldwide and regionally. With analysis of global and regional brands, the Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report provides an objective, expert view of the market with insight into historical shipments, revenues, forecasts, and more. For more information about the report, please contact Charles Camaroto at 1.888.436.7673 or 1.516.625.2452, e-mail contact@displaysearch.com or contact your regional NPD DisplaySearch office in China, Japan, Korea or Taiwan for more information.
About NPD DisplaySearch
NPD DisplaySearch, part of The NPD Group, provides global market research and consulting specializing in the display supply chain, including trend information, forecasts and analyses developed by a global team of experienced analysts with extensive industry knowledge. NPD DisplaySearch supply chain expertise complements sell-through information from The NPD Group, thereby providing a true end-to-end view of the display supply chain from materials and components to shipments of electronic devices with displays to sales of major consumer and commercial channels. For more information, visit us at http://www.displaysearch.com/. Read our blog at http://www.displaysearchblog.com/ and follow us on Twitter at @DisplaySearch.
About The NPD Group, Inc.
The NPD Group provides global information and advisory services to drive better business decisions. By combining unique data assets with unmatched industry expertise, we help our clients track their markets, understand consumers, and drive profitable growth. Sectors covered include automotive, beauty, consumer electronics, entertainment, fashion, food/foodservice, home, luxury, mobile, office supplies, sports, technology, toys, and video games. For more information, visithttp://www.npd.com/ and npdgroupblog.com. Follow us on Twitter: @npdtech and @npdgroup.
China [branded] smartphone vendors to foray into tablet segment [DIGITIMES, July 1, 2013]
China-based smartphone vendors, including Huawei, ZTE, Lenovo and Xiaomi Technology, all will step up their efforts to penetrate the tablet market, according to industry sources.
Huawei plans to launch a new 7-inch tablet in the third quarter of 2013, and together with a 10.1-inch model released in early 2013, Huawei is sourcing about two million flat panels from China-based Truly Opto-electronics currently, the sources indicated.
Meanwhile, Huawei also purchases a portion of displays used in its new tablets from Innolux. However, the Taiwan-based flat panel maker declined to comment on orders from individual clients.
Lenovo also unveiled its Windows 8-based tablet, the Lenovo Miix10, recently. The Lenovo Miix, which is expected to hit the market in the third quarter, is equipped with a 10.1-inch 1366 by 768 IPS display and is power by an Intel dual-core Atom processor.
Xiaomi reportedly will step into the tablet segment by unveiling its first tablet in mid-August, the sources revealed, adding that Xiaomi will utilize tablet chipset solutions from MediaTek.
White-box vendors expected to lower prices for entry-level 7-inch tablets to US$40 in 2H13 [DIGITIMES, June 7, 2013]
The market for 7-inch tablets is seeing intense competition and white-box vendors are expected to further reduce prices for entry-level models to US$40 in the second half of 2013, according to Taiwan-based supply chain sources.
Entry-level white-box tablets are expected to continue selling well in markets such as China, and supply chains are able to increasingly decrease pricing for entry-level components, said the sources.
Meanwhile, Digitimes Research predicts that 254 million tablets will be sold in 2013, up 63.9% on year.
China-based white-box 2013 tablet shipments likely below forecasts [DIGITIMES, June 14, 2013]
China-based white-box tablet vendors’ shipments in 2013 were originally forecast at 120 million units, but actual shipments may fall short due to strong competition from inexpensive models launched by brand vendors, according to supply chain sources.
In addition to brand vendors, the white-box tablet vendors also face increasing competition from entry-level large-size smartphones, the sources said, adding that smartphones sized 5.7- to 6-inch are posing some of the biggest challenges.
Pricing for both the inexpensive brand models and entry-level large-size smartphones are becoming more similar to white-box tablet vendors’ products and that trend is expected to continue, causing the shipments to be less than expected in 2013, the sources added.
Digitimes Research: China mobile AP market to expand in 2013 [press release, June 14, 2013]
The China mobile application processor (AP) market will expand over 60% in 2013 to 506 million units, with smartphone-use APs accounting for 77.4% of total shipments, Digitimes Research said in its new report.
The market for smartphone APs in China climbed to 241.5 million units in 2012, up significantly from 69 million in 2011, according to Digitimes Research. The number will increase to 391.7 million units in 2013.
Shipments of China-made smartphone APs are forecast to account for 34% of the global smartphone AP market in 2013, compared to 26% in 2012 and around 10% in 2011, Digitimes Research noted.
As for China-made tablet APs, the market will reach a size of 115.2 million units in 2013, compared with a mere 10.5 million units [in 2011], Digitimes Research indicated.
Dual-core processors will overtake single-core chips to become the mainstream spec for tablets produced by China’s brand and white-box companies in the second half of 2013, while the penetration of quad-core powered tablets will also expand substantially, Digitimes Research pointed out.
China-based mobile AP vendors will ship a combined 506 million units in 2013, while the global mobile AP market will come to a size of 958 million units, Digitimes Research projected.
Prices of smartphone and tablet solutions to drop 10-20% in 2H13 [DIGITIMES, June 18, 2013]
Prices of chipset solutions for smartphones and tablets are expected to decline 10-20% sequentially in the second half of 2013 due to competition between MediaTek and Qualcomm, according to industry sources.
Qualcomm is scheduled to host its annual QRD (Qualcomm reference design) forum in Shenzhen on June 20, which is expected to attract participants from China-based branded as well as white-box smartphone and tablet vendors, the sources noted.
While showcasing its new solutions for the second half of the year, the forum also aims to grab smartphone and tablet solution orders from MediaTek, which has been prevailing in China’s solution market using a variety of reference designs, said the sources.
Qualcomm said earlier that over 40 OEMs have launched more than 200 new smartphones and tablets in 14 countries recently, mounting increasing pressure on MediaTek, said the sources.
China-based solution vendors such as Spreadtrum Communications have also joined the price competion, driving the unit price of quad-core smartphone solutions to below US$10 in China recently, the sources revealed.
China market: White-box tablet makers approaching MediaTek for quad-core solutions [DIGITIMES, May 27, 2013]
China-based white-box tablet makers are reportedly approaching MediaTek for the purchase of the chipmaker’s integrated MT8125 and [the upcoming] 8135 [to be based on A15 + A7 “big.LITTLE” architecture] quad-core application processors for tablets, according to industry sources.
The move by the white-box tablet makers comes after branded tablet vendors in China and Taiwan have begun using the MT8125 and 8135 solutions for tablets targeting the US99-149 segment, the sources noted.
White-box tablet makers currently purchase quad-core solutions mainly from China-based IC vendors including Allwinner Technology and Rockchip Technology, while buying Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips from Realtek Semiconductor and RDA Microelectronics.
The 28nm quad-core solutions from Allwinner and Rockchip are priced at US$4-5, or about 50% lower than the comparable quad-core chips offered by MediaTek, since the chips offered by Allwinner or Rochchip do not support voice communications, said the sources.
In order to compete effectively in China and other emerging markets and differentiate products, white-box tablet makers have been forced to adopt MediaTek’s quad-core solutions, commented the sources.
MediaTek Introduces New Quad-Core Application Processor for Fast-Growing Tablet Market [pres release, May 29, 2013] used in ASUS MeMO Pad HD 7 shown earlier
TAIWAN, Hsinchu – 29 May, 2013 – MediaTek Inc., a leading fabless semiconductor company for wireless communications and digital multimedia solutions, today announced the availability of the new quad-core application processor – MT8125 designed for the fast growing global tablet markets. The new tablet platform is an extension of the company’s highly successful quad-core portfolio, it integrates a power-efficient quad-core Cortex™- A7 CPU subsystem with speed up to 1.5GHz, PowerVR™ Series5XT Graphics that delivers compelling multimedia features and sophisticated user experiences. To simplify product design and speed time-to-market, the MT8125 supports 3G HSPA+, 2G EDGE and Wi-Fi versions, all of which are pin-to-pin compatible, allowing device manufacturers to easily expand their portfolios with a full range of tablets by leveraging the existing or planned design requiring no additional rework.
Inheriting MediaTek’s technology breakthrough of quad-core SoC platform and high-end multimedia capabilities, the MT8125 incorporates premium multimedia features, supporting up to Full HD 1080p video playback and recording, 13MP camera with integrated ISP and Full HD (1920 x 1200) displays. The new tablet SoC also delivers ground breaking visual quality powered by the leading picture quality technology – MiraVisionTM, derived from MediaTek’s extensive experience in the Digital TV market.
The MT8125 includes full support for MediaTek’s leading 4-in-1 connectivity combo that converges Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and FM, bringing highly integrated, best-in-class wireless technologies and expanded functionality to high-performance multimedia tablets. The MT8125 also provides support for Wi-Fi certified Miracast™ which makes multimedia content sharing between devices easier.
“During the last two years, application processors used in tablets have taken a fast evolution from single-core 1GHz to quad cores, clocking over 1.5GHz. Competition will force chipset vendors to maintain pace – by implementing more advanced features while reducing the system cost by increasing the level of integration*,”said Gartner Research Director Roger Sheng.
“MediaTek’s team has worked closely with Lenovo to integrate their solutions into our design process, helping us accelerate the development and introduction of new, innovative tablets. In turn, this allows us to fulfill our commitment to delivering the outstanding user experience our customers demand. The tablet market is moving fast, and Lenovo aims to be at the forefront of tablet innovation. MediaTek helps us do that,” commented Wayne Chen, vice president and head of mobile business unit for Lenovo.
“We’re confident that our comprehensive reference designs will be the industry benchmark, particularly benefiting the mid-to-high-end tablet market. It is an innovative, cost-effective and definitely faster time-to-market solution.” said Joe Chen, GM of Home Entertainment Business Unit, MediaTek. “By taking advantage of our strengths in the multimedia field, mobile communications and multi-screen technologies, we offer a complete multi-core processor family for smartphones and tablets, enabling a significant difference in performance and power efficiency – all while ensuring seamless streaming performance across the array of devices when users are consuming entertainment and information. ”
The MediaTek quad core tablet SoC is now being widely adopted by MediaTek’s global customers including Lenovo IdeaTab S6000 series.
Lenovo S6000 10.1″ MediaTek MT8389 [Charbax YouTube channel, March 4, 2013]
Note:
1. According to LinuxGizmos.com “It appears, however that Lenovo’s 10-inch, quad-core S6000 Android tablet uses a scaled down, 1.2GHz version of the MT8125 called the MT8389. … The MT8389 also appears to have a lesser PowerVR SGX GPU, according to All-RSS.com. As a result, the Lenovo S6000 has more limited 1280 x 800-pixel resolution and a 5-megapixel camera.”
2. Quad-core SoC competition in as per this:
MT8125 / 8389
Quad-Core Cortex-A7 1.5GHz + CPU Tablet Platform [May 29, 2013]
Overview
MT8125/8389 is an extension of MediaTek’s highly successful quad-core portfolio, it integrates a power-efficient quad-core Cortex™- A7 CPU subsystem with speed up to 1.5GHz, PowerVR™ Series5XT Graphics that delivers compelling multimedia features and sophisticated user experiences.
Features
High-end Multimedia Capabilities
• Supporting up to Full HD 1080p video playback and recording, 13MP camera with integrated ISP and Full HD (1920 x 1200) displays
• Delivering ground breaking visual quality powered by the leading picture quality technology – MiraVisionTM, derived from MediaTek’s extensive experience in the Digital TV market.
Best-in-class Connectivity Technology
• Including full support for MediaTek’s leading 4-in-1 connectivity combo that converges Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and FM, bringing highly integrated, best-in-class wireless technologies to tablets
• Providing support for Wi-Fi certified Miracast™ which makes multimedia content sharing between devices easier
Supports 3G HSPA+, 2G EDGE and Wi-Fi
• MT8125/ 8389 supports 3G HSPA+, 2G EDGE and Wi-Fi versions, all of which are pin-to-pin compatible, allowing device manufacturers to easily expand their portfolios with a full range of tablets by leveraging the existing or planned design requiring no additional rework.
MT8377
1 GHz Dual-Core Tablet Platform [May 29, 2013]
Overview
The MediaTek MT8377 features a dual 1GHz Cortex™-A9 application processor from ARM, a PowerVR™ Series5 SGX GPU from Imagination Technologies, MediaTek’s proven 3G/HSPA/Edge modem, and runs the Android 4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich”. y integrating a dual-core application processor architecture widely deployed in the majority of today’s premium tablets, the MT8377 boosts application and browser performance by up to 40% compared to single-core platform.
Features
Richest Multimedia Features
• Providing rich multimedia features including a 8MP camera and high-definition 1080p video playback
• Supporting high-resolution displays of up to HD720 (1280×720) resolution
• Integrating built-in stereo 3D panel support and DTV-grade display picture quality
Best-in-class Connectivity Technology
• Including full support for MediaTek’s leading 4-in-1 connectivity combo that converges Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and FM
MediaTek allocating more resources for development of tablet solutions [DIGITIMES, June 10, 2013]
MediaTek is relocating its tablet solution unit from its wireless communications group to the home entertainment group, meaning that the Taiwan-based top IC design house is looking to put more of its hardware and software resources into developing chips for tablet applications, according to industry sources.
The move echoes company president Hseih Ching-chiang’s statement that MediaTek aims to roll out new chips for tablet applications on a quarterly basis in the next few years.
The emphasis on the development of chips for tablets indicates that MediaTek believes that tablets will become the next-generation killer application and that the global tablet market is likely to continue to grow robustly in the coming years, commented the sources.
Meanwhile, MediaTek has adopted a strategy to push sales of its tablet solutions to non-Apple branded vendors in China and Taiwan, which have been focusing on promoting mid-range tablets for the US$99-199 segment, the sources indicated.
Given the high price/performance ratio and reliability of MediaTek’s chipset solutions, more and more entry-level tablet vendors in China are likely to queue up for table solutions from MediaTek, said the sources.
MediaTek is expected to ship a total of 20 million chipsets for tablets in 2013, accounting for 15% of the global non-iPad tablet market, estimated the sources.
MediaTek 2Q13 performance beats guidance [DIGITIMES, July 5, 2013]
MediaTek has reported consolidated revenues of NT$9.77 billion (US$323.52 million) for June, down 10.6% sequentially but up 24.6% on year.
MediaTek’s second-quarter revenues totaled NT$33.28 billion [US$1.1B], increasing 38.8% sequentially and surpassing the company’s guidance of NT$30-31.6 billion set for the quarter.
For the first half of 2013, revenues amounted to NT$57.25 billion [US$1.9B], up 33% from a year earlier.
Digitimes Research: China mobile AP shipments rise in 2Q13 [press release, June 24, 2013]
The China mobile application processor (AP) market is forecast to reach a total of 114.5 million units in the second quarter of 2013, up 9.6% sequentially and 88.6% from the 60.7 million units shipped a year ago, Digitimes Research said in its new report. Smartphone-use APs continued to account for the majority of total shipments.
The market for smartphone APs in China will amount to 92.3 million units in the second quarter, representing a 16% increase compared to 79.6 million units in the first quarter, whereas that for tablet-use APs declined 10.8% on quarter to 22.2 million units, according to Digitimes Research.
The China mobile AP market, which consists of smartphone- and tablet-use APs, is set to total 219 million units in the first half of 2013, said Digitimes Research. The top-5 suppliers – MediaTek, Qualcomm, Spreadtrum Communications, Allwinner Technology and Rockchip Electronics – contributed as high as 192 million units, or 87.7%, to the overall shipments, Digitimes Research indicated.
MediaTek has enjoyed robust growth in its SoC shipments for smartphones and tablets with shipments for the first half estimated at 84 million units, while Qualcomm‘s shipments to China’s mobile AP market are set to total about 42.7 million units, Digitimes Research predicted. Meanwhile, Spreadtrum with its low-price strategy is expected to ship 38 million units in the first half of 2013, Digitimes Research said.
Specializing in tablet-use SoCs, Allwinner and Rockchip will both report significant on-year growth in their shipments for the first half of 2013, Digitimes Research indicated. Allwinner‘s shipments will climb to 18 million chips in first-half 2013 from only 4.7 million units a year earlier, while Rockchip‘s shipments for the same period will reach 10 million chips compared with the 5.5 million units shipped in the first half of 2012.
Note: Out of 47.1 million units used in tablets for H1CY13 28 million came from Allwinner and Rockchip, which is almost 60%. 38% belongs to Allwinner, 21% to Rockchip.
Digitimes Research: TSMC expanding in China [press release, June 20, 2013]
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has significantly expanded its presence in China’s IC industry, as the foundry’s technology advantages and manufacturing capabilities help it ride the wave of smartphone and tablet growth in the local market, according to Digitimes Research.
TSMC has received a pull-in of orders from a number of China-based IC design houses, which specialize in mobile SoCs such as application processors and place a heavy emphasis on demand domestically. Their booming businesses have boosted TSMC’s sales coming from the China market, said Digitimes Research.
TSMC saw sales generated from the total orders placed by its China-based clients climbed to US$820 million in 2012 from US$510 million in 2011, an about 61% increase. Sales are set to rise further to top US$1.4 billion in 2013, Digitimes research forecast.
China-based Semiconductor Manufacturing International (SMIC) has also enjoyed growth in its sales coming from the local market, Digitimes Research indicated. Sales generated from orders placed by SMIC’s local China-based clients arrived at the highest quarterly level for a third consecutive quarter in the first quarter of 2013, Digitimes Research said.
In addition, Digitimes Research noted that China’s IC design sector has entered a new phase of development. The number of China-based IC design companies exceeded 500 in 2012 with their combined output value ranked third worldwide.
IHS Boosts Tablet Panel Shipment Forecast as White-Box Products Storm the Market [press release, July 2, 2013]
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.(July 2, 2013)—Boosted by orders from unbranded, white-box Chinese manufacturers, global demand for tablet panels is exceeding expectations, spurring IHS to increase its forecast for displays by 6 percent for 2013.
A total of 262 million displays for tablets are forecast to be shipped in 2013, compared to the previous forecast of 246 million, according to the May Edition of the “LCD Industry Tracker—Tablet” report from information and analytics provider IHS (NYSE: IHS). This will represent 69 percent growth from 155 million in 2012, as presented in figure 1 attached.
“Competitive dynamics in the tablet market have changed dramatically this year as Chinese white-box smartphone makers have entered the tablet market in droves,” said Ricky Park, senior manager for large-area displays at IHS. “These companies are producing massive quantities of low-end tablets that appeal to consumers in China and other developing economies. Because of this, the white-box manufacturers are driving up demand for tablet panels, particularly smaller displays using the older twisted nematic (TN) technology, rather than the newer screens using in-plane switching (IPS).”
Unbranded tablet makers purchased 40 percent of all tablet panels in April, up from just 17 percent in the first quarter of 2012, as presented in figure 2 attached.
Partly because of the rise of white-box makers, shipments of smaller 8- and 9-inch tablet displays will rise by nearly 200 percent in 2013. In contrast, larger displays in the 9-, 10- and 11-inch range will suffer a 5 percent decline.
The boom in white-box tablets is being driven the introduction of turnkey designs offered by processor makers. The designs make it easy for new, inexperienced market entrants to offer tablet products.
The Chinese white-box manufacturers hold certain advantages over the major incumbent tablet manufacturers. The white-box manufacturers are able to produce tablets at lower cost, more quickly and with greater flexibility in production. These companies also have the capability to manufacture both unbranded tablets, and make products for the major brands on a contract manufacturing basis.
Such white-box players also have been agile enough to take advantage of the current high availability and low-cost of tablet panels. Makers of displays for the shrinking PC market have switched over to the tablet market, spurring a glut that has depressed pricing. As prices have fallen, the white-box makers have demonstrated enough flexibility to boost production of low-cost tablets.
“Playing to their strengths, the white-box manufacturers are set to continue to increase their presence in tablets and propel the expansion of the overall tablet market,” Park said.
IHS believes the strong growth of tablet panel demand continued in the second quarter. The arrival of more turnkey tablet design solutions will drive up demand for 7- and 8-inch panels throughout the year.
The 8-inch panels are becoming an increasingly large segment of the tablet market, with a display area more appealing to users than the 7-inch size. In all, the 8-inch panels accounted for 11 percent of panel shipments in April, with Samsung and Acer having recently launched new tablets in that size. With more introductions likely coming in the third quarter, IHS expects a substantial market share for the 8-inch by the end of this year.
The market for larger-sized, 10-inch and bigger tablet panels may begin to enjoy a recovery in shipments with the launch of the new Intel Corp. Atom microprocessor, code-named Bay Trail. This new device could help reduce the cost of x86 microprocessor-based tablets and improve battery life. Bay Trail also could generate opportunities for hybrid-form tablets that include keyboards.
The x86 tablets, with Microsoft Corp.’s new Windows 8 operating system, would have functionality better suited to the needs of the commercial and business worlds than either the Google Android- or the Apple iOS-based tablets, which are designed with the consumer in mind.
About IHS (www.ihs.com)
IHS (NYSE: IHS) is the leading source of information, insight and analytics in critical areas that shape today’s business landscape. Businesses and governments in more than 165 countries around the globe rely on the comprehensive content, expert independent analysis and flexible delivery methods of IHS to make high-impact decisions and develop strategies with speed and confidence. IHS has been in business since 1959 and became a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange in 2005. Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, USA, IHS is committed to sustainable, profitable growth and employs 6,700 people in 31 countries around the world.
Flexible Display Market to Reach Nearly 800 Million Unit Shipments by 2020 [IHS press release, June 5, 2013]
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (June 5, 2013)—Demand for flexible displays is set to undergo massive growth during the next seven years, with a broad variety of applications—ranging from smartphones to giant screens mounted on buildings—driving a nearly 250 times expansion in shipments from 2013 through 2020.
Global shipments of flexible displays are projected to soar to 792 million units in 2020, up from 3.2 million in 2013, according to a new IHS report entitled “Flexible Display Technology and Market Forecast” . Market revenue will rise to $41.3 billion, up from just $100,000 during the same period, as presented in the attached figure.
“Flexible displays hold enormous potential, creating whole new classes of products and enabling exciting new applications that were impractical or impossible before,” said Vinita Jakhanwal, director for mobile and emerging displays and technology at IHS. “From smartphones with displays that curve around the sides, to smart watches with wraparound screens, to tablets and PCs with roll-out displays, to giant video advertisements on curved building walls, the potential uses for flexible displays will be limited only by the imagination of designers.”
Generation flex
IHS classifies flexible displays into four generations of technology. The first generation is the durable display panels that are now entering the market. These panels employ a flexible substrate to attain superior thinness and unbreakable ruggedness. However, these displays are flat and cannot be bent or rolled.
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